Resumo

MATETE, Relebohile P.  e  RATHOBEI, Libuseng M.. Nurses' practice of metabolic monitoring for patients on antipsychotics in Lesotho. S. Afr. j. psyc. [online]. 2024, vol.30, n.1, pp.1-6. ISSN 2078-6786.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v30i0.2219.

BACKGROUND: Severe mental illness is associated with higher physical health morbidities and reduced life expectancy, with an estimated 14.3% of global deaths attributed to mental disorders. Antipsychotic medications (APs) used in treatment contribute to physical health issues, including metabolic and cardiovascular effects AIM: The aim of this study was to assess nurses' practices regarding metabolic monitoring for patients prescribed antipsychotic medications at Mohlomi Hospital in Lesotho SETTING: The study was conducted at Mohlomi Hospital, the primary psychiatric facility in Lesotho METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, 44 nurses from Mohlomi Hospital participated in the study. A structured questionnaire assessed nurses' metabolic monitoring practices RESULTS: Most of the respondents were female (n = 30, 75%), and minority were male (n = 10, 25%). The academic qualifications of respondents were distributed as follows: 40% (16) held a nursing assistant certificate and 22.5% (9) held an advanced nursing diploma, among others. The average age of all respondents was 39.05 (s.d. 8.9), with an average of 8 years of experience in psychiatry (s.d. 7.6). The overall rate of nurses' practices of metabolic monitoring for patients taking antipsychotic medications showed variability, with a mean score of 2.83 (s.d. 0.524). However, only 20% performed ECG tests, 22.5% measured blood pressure, 27.5% tested for glucose abnormalities and 17.5% conducted lipid profile testing CONCLUSION: Results revealed a significant gap in the practice of metabolic monitoring among nurses with various aspects of metabolic monitoring, not being adequately monitored CONTRIBUTION: The study's findings shall inform policy and guidelines for monitoring patients on antipsychotic medications while guiding future research

Palavras-chave : nurse; metabolic monitoring; antipsychotic medication; patients; health care institution.

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